COMPASSES Synonyms: 252 Similar and Opposite Words

compasses 1 of 2

noun

plural of compass

as in directions

a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a young go-getter who lost his moral compass in the course of his quest for fame and fortune

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Relevance

as in scopes

an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends within the compass of my voice

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as in edges

the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something within the compass of the city walls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compasses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of compass

as in implements

to carry through (as a process) to completion attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in circles

to travel completely around the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

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as in plots

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends the rebels are compassing the assassination of the king

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as in surrounds

to form a circle around a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas

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as in knows

to have a clear idea of the concept that the earth is billions of years old is one that the average mind struggles to compass

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of compasses

Noun

Think vintage navy portholes, ship compasses, and aircraft fuselage. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026 The prevailing motifs include Anglo-American boarding schools and college campuses, accoutrements with a romantic aura (billowing sleeves, melting candles), and analog artifacts (old compasses, monocles). — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 So many role-playing games spoonfeed you with compasses and waypoints and fourth-wall-breaking warnings. — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 As for steering a buggy to the Artemis base, compasses don’t work on the moon, and dust will adhere to optics, so NASA has pioneered plans to use Earth’s Galileo and GPS satellites to navigate. — Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026 Pilots learn to navigate using maps and compasses, as well as natural cues such as stars and terrain features including rivers, bridges and other landmarks to orient themselves and move toward friendly forces. — Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026 Likewise, this administration has demonstrated a talent for sudden pivots — foreign policy statements that change overnight, budget proposals that evaporate by morning, and messaging that suggests the communications team may be using different maps, compasses and time zones. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026 In ordinary magnetic materials, unpaired electrons behave like tiny compasses and eventually align with one another. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026 Over 1,000 years ago, explorers began using compasses, typically made with a floating cork or piece of wood with a magnetized needle in it, to find their way. — Scott Brame, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compasses

Noun

Today, the traffic in innovation is beginning to move in multiple directions.

— Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
What’s happening Yardzen’s report flags the Party Patio as one of eight dominant directions heading into next year.

— Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of directions

Noun

Confining Employees To Rigid Roles As a business grows, team members with rigid, constrained scopes may stop working or supporting others outside their existing scope.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026
These involve a cancer screening test, followed by a surgical procedure involving robotic scopes.

— Tara Molina, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of scopes

Verb

The news comes as the streamer cuts from its uppermost ranks and implements layoffs that will affect roughly 1,000 people, the company’s biggest cut since 2022.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
Public bathrooms Tourists and locals alike can be more at ease when exploring NYC, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani implements a new program rolling out free modular public bathrooms in high-traffic areas across the city.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of implements

Verb

Avani completed the project after his death in Mumbai and Delhi, photographing, at the same time, Raghu’s old image and the space that surrounds it today.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
All of this excitement surrounds a 1,000-pound—give or take—pumpkin that graces the stoop of a brownstone in the Brooklyn neighborhood each year.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of surrounds

Verb

The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Anyone who has worked at a fast-growing company at the edge of technology knows that obligations, circumstances and products change daily.

— Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of knows

Browse Nearby Words

compassed

compasses

compassing

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of compasses

noun

verb

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